Never Too Late
by taralkariel
Summary: Dr. Crane goes to work for Joker as he gains power. Will Scarecrow take over completely? Set shortly before Dark Knight, CraneOC, sequel to Passive, can stand alone.
1. This World Will Never Be What I Expected

_A/N This is a sequel to Circling the Drain and Passive. It's helpful to have read those, but not necessary. Chapter titles based off "Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace. Please R&R_

_It's the fear,  
The fear of the dark  
It's growing inside of me  
They won, they will come to life  
Have to save, save my beloved,  
There is no escape  
Because my fate is horror and doom_

_-Within Temptation, It's the Fear_

* * *

**This World Will Never Be What I Expected**

_It's a cruel memory  
To look back on who we were  
Because my past is a poison  
And I'll never find the cure  
Take me away, I might as well be yours_

_-Black Light Burns, Cruel Melody_

Dr. Jonathan Crane sat on the couch, his hands folded and rested in between his knees. His cold blue eyes were focused on the door of the apartment, a few yards before him. He listened intently, trying to catch the words of the two figures on the balcony. The door, and walls, were thick in this part of town and he heard nothing. Of course, they were probably speaking quietly, in order to keep from attracting attention neither of them wanted. So, he waited, like he'd always done.

Of course, he had never waited quite so impatiently. The rest of his life was probably being decided out there. Not in detail, but where he would spend it certainly was. He didn't dare to hope. He tried not to think of the options, just to focus on the now and not worry. Jenny… Jenny would fight for him to remain free, he was sure. But should he really wish that upon her?

Finally, he heard the sound of a car starting. A large car. He focused again on the door, which opened slowly. Jeanette Ducard, Jenny, entered. She was not over-tall, but her small stature was hard to remember in the face of her vibrant personality. She had thick brown hair and bright green eyes and was the most beautiful woman Jonathan had ever seen. He looked at her, feeling anxious but betraying nothing in his expression.

"Well, that was easier than I expected," she said, sitting down next to him.

"What happened?"

"He let you go," she said softly.

"Why?"

She didn't answer, staring at the floor. He watched her silently, not sure if he should press her or not. Probably just wait, he thought bitterly. He was tired of waiting.

"Well, I gave him some information he'll find useful. Not as much as I might have, but I could probably keep him up to date," she added.

"What sort of information?"

"On the mob, what it's doing. Who's in charge, where to find him."

"Ah. And that was a good enough trade?" he asked emotionlessly.

She looked up, piercing him with her intense eyes. He held her gaze. "I gave him my word that… that you wouldn't do anything to trouble him while you were… with me," she said slowly, turning back toward the floor.

There was an awkward silence. Finally, Jonathan gave into his impatience. "How long will that be?" he asked, not daring to look at her again.

She was watching him. "How long would you like to stay?" she murmured.

"I don't know. I hadn't thought about it before," he said. Which was a lie. He'd thought about it a great deal. But he hadn't expected staying to be an option. Not something that would really be offered to him. He turned to meet her gaze. Suddenly, the couch seemed very small, and they were seated awfully close together.

"Well, think about it now," she said, standing suddenly.

She strode hastily to the kitchen, and he watched her go, not sure what to do. He wanted to stay here. Very little could please him more, he thought. But it wasn't realistic. She couldn't afford to keep him here, not with him being wanted by most of the city. And he didn't want to just freeload off of her anyway. But how could a fugitive make money? He didn't really want to work for the mob anymore, either.

But, then, why had he come back here? He had been gone, and surviving as a wanted man. So, why had he returned? He knew why.

Jonathan rose, and walked over to where Jenny was standing in the kitchen, pretending to read a magazine. She looked up at him, appraisingly. He held out his hand silently. Her gaze focused on his outstretched hand, then she tentatively took it in hers. He pulled her around the counter so she was standing mere inches before him.

"I will stay as long as you'll let me," he said softly, searching her face.

She smiled. "Well, it seems I can hardly get you to leave. But," she took a deep breath. "I would be happy to have you," she added sincerely.

"I'm glad," he said, then pulled her into his arms.

* * *

Later, they were sitting on the couch. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders and he was watching her. "So, what did you tell him?" he asked. 

She shrugged. "Nothing worth mentioning. I told him what I knew about how the mob's been reorganizing, since Falcone went mad." She paused, and he smiled sweetly. "I guess he deserved that, though. If anyone did," she added.

They were quiet again. "Did you know someone who was… adversely affected?" he asked tentatively.

She smiled grimly. "Not personally, no." She looked at him again, as if about to say something. But she changed her mind and rose. "Well, I also promised him I'd help him out whenever I could. So, I should probably go find out what I can."

Jonathan cocked his head at her. "Do you want me to come?"

"No, no, you just stay here. I don't want you to wander off," she said with a smile.

He smiled back. "Alright. You know where to find me," he added.

She bent and kissed his cheek before leaving. He watched her go, thinking hard.

* * *

Jenny wasn't sure where to go. Her welcome had always been dubious with the mob, and with new leadership, it was unlikely they'd want to see her. Or worse, they'd love to see her. Zsasz had come for her, saying she was a prize since she kept Crane from them. It would not be wise to go to see this new mob boss for herself. So, she had better go see Renee first. Renee always seemed to know everything that went on. Though her knowledge may have lessened, since Ra's was incapacitated. But he still retained some of his power. 

She reached the old warehouse, looking around nervously. She did hate this town sometimes. The Narrows had been mostly cleaned up, at least as far as the poisoned people went. It was still dangerous, though. Especially for a woman alone. Sighing, she pulled the door open and slipped inside.

"Jenny?" Renee's voice came from the darkness.

"Yes. Where are you?" she asked, looking around.

"Up here," was the response. Looking up, she saw a sort of balcony around the perimeter of the inner walls. Renee was standing on one, high above. "What are you doing here? Not that I didn't expect you to come by," she added.

"Uh huh. And why did you expect me?" Jenny inquired.

Renee walked over to a ladder and came down to stand in front of her sister. "Well, since I heard about you being very… kidnap-able. The new boss is not happy that Crane slipped away from him. And you may have trouble from others," she added gravely.

"If you're talking about the Batman, I took care of that. What about Ra's?" Jenny asked, ignoring the surprised look on her sister's face.

"Really? You are talented. You missed your calling, not working for us. Though I'm sure you'd never join the loser's side," Renee added, smiling self-effacingly. "Anyway, we're clearing out of here pretty soon."

"Why?"

"Well, we lost. And we don't want anyone to know Henri's alive. So, I guess we'll leave the country for a while. I'll try to stay in touch, but it's kind of hard while you're on the run," Renee said, smiling.

"I guess so," she replied. She frowned slightly. "What's his plan, then?"

"Oh, I don't know. We'll probably come back to destroy the city later, perhaps when Batman isn't here," Renee added.

"So, is this goodbye, then?" she asked.

Renee sighed. "Yes, I guess so. I don't know how long it will be before he comes back. But I can get you up to date on everything going on in the city, so you're prepared."

"Thanks! That's kind of why I came," Jenny said, smiling

"I figured."

* * *

After a sad farewell, Jenny returned home. She had not always been on good terms with her sister, but it was sad to lose someone trustworthy. Not that she expected Renee to go against her mad husband in anything, but she had fought to keep her family. And now she had told her all that she knew. She was a good sister, at times. 

Jenny climbed up the stairs to her apartment, always thankful that she had made it this far without incident.

"Hello, Jonathan," she said as she opened the door.

He was still seated on the couch. He didn't appear to have moved. His cold eyes were fixed on the wall, but he pulled himself out of his reverie and smiled.

"Hi, Jenny," he said shyly. "What did you find out?" he said after a pause.

"Quite a bit, actually," she said, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "Nothing good, though. Well, perhaps. But Ra's is going out of the country for a while. Possibly a long while. To recuperate, I suppose. Renee doesn't know when they'll be back."

"So, we're safe from them for a while, then," Jonathan said.

"For now. I wouldn't count on it lasting more than a few years, but I may be being paranoid," Jenny replied.

"Well, how about the mob?"

She sighed. "That's definitely bad news. Falcone's son tried to take it over for a while, but he couldn't consolidate his power. So, they turned to someone else. I don't know where this guy came from. No one does. No one seems to know anything about him, except not to cross him. They call him the Joker. He's taken over all of Falcone's old haunts, so he's easy to find. They say he's completely mad, and will kill for absolutely no reason." She shuddered. "I think I won't work for the mob anymore," she said dryly.

He smiled grimly. "Yes, that's a good idea. I'm sure he'd be a difficult boss to serve," he added. But a strange look appeared in his eyes. "Unless you know how to deal with that sort," he murmured.

"Honey, I don't think anyone does," Jenny replied vehemently.

"I suppose not," he said, smiling. But the strange look didn't go away.


	2. No One Will Ever See This Side Reflected

**No One Will Ever See This Side Reflected**

_Go for the jugular, cut the vein  
And kiss it away, kiss it away, kiss it away  
Everything that brings me pain_

_-Black Light Burns, 4 Walls_

"Jonathan? Can I talk to you?" Jenny asked.

He looked up. "Of course." He paused. "What about?"

"About why you… why…" She sighed. "Your past, I guess."

"Oh, you don't want to hear about that. It's quite unpleasant," he replied.

"I know. That's why I want to know."

"Because you want to know what you're getting into?" he asked.

She frowned. "Well, yes. I wonder how well I know you at all."

He shrugged. "You know Jonathan quite well. But, sadly, he's not the only one here," he said, tapping his head.

She took his hand. "I want to know everyone in there."

"No, you really don't," he insisted.

"Yes, I do. I want to know, if only so I can recognize who's addressing me. So I know whether to believe him or not," she replied.

He studied her for a moment. She looked at him earnestly. "I suppose I might explain some things. But some things are not explainable," he warned her.

"I understand."

He nodded slowly. "Well, I grew up with my mother. My father was suffering from acute depression when I was about five. He committed suicide, jumped off the bridge. But Mom took good care of me, even though she had to work a great deal. I was a serious child, due to the trauma of death at such a young age." He paused. "I'm sorry, I sound like my own psychiatrist."

"That's okay," she said with a smile. "I like it."

He smiled, then continued. "Well, I studied quite a bit. I was always reading. I suppose escapism was very tempting. I would have been at the top of my class, had I participated more. But they were behind me, and Mom was too busy to be one of those parents who goes and makes sure their child is being properly challenged."

"What did she do?"

"She… I'm not sure all of what she did. I know she worked at some sort of restaurant, as a waitress. I seem to recall her doing some custodial work at the science labs at Gotham University. I went with her from time to time. It was what first got me interested in science."

He paused. "I've skipped some parts, I'm afraid. When my father killed himself, he left behind an unexpected sum of money. Mom was aware that I was smart, and not challenged enough in school. She sent me to a nice private school on the edge of town. I hated it there," he sighed. "The children knew I was not one of them, and mocked me mercilessly. That's when it started, I suppose."

"When what started?"

"Scarecrow. Where he began. Are you sure you want to hear about that?"

She nodded. "I want to hear everything you're willing to tell me."

"Well, alright. I didn't name him then, of course. Not until much later. Not that I ever named him," he added thoughtfully. "He introduced himself, I suppose. But that's when the thoughts started coming that I couldn't suppress. That I didn't want to suppress," he amended.

He was silent a moment, lost in thought. "What sort of thoughts?" Jenny asked at last.

"Cruel, sadistic thoughts. I hated those rich kids for looking down on me. They knew I was only there because my father killed himself. They told me that frequently. I wanted them to feel the same pain and fear I did."

"Fear?" she asked, surprised. "Why did his death cause fear?"

"Irrationality of childhood, mostly. I didn't understand why he would do that, and I had no idea what would cause someone else to want to end his life. I was in terror that my mother would follow suit," he explained.

"Did she love you?" Jenny asked, looking wistful.

Surprised, Jonathan nodded. "Very much. She sacrificed a lot for me."

"Where is she now?"

"I… I don't know. She remarried while I was in college. We… we had a fight, and I haven't spoken to her since." He sighed heavily. "I'm certain she wouldn't want to hear from me now."

Jenny took his hand. "I'm sorry. I'm sure she still loves you."

He shrugged. "I can't see why she would."

"She's family. Family is supposed to love you no matter what you do," she said with surprising vehemence.

He looked at her. "Did yours?"

She looked away from his piercing gaze. "Kind of."

He raised an eyebrow. She said nothing. "Care to elaborate?"

She sighed. "Well, if they didn't love me, it wasn't because of something I did. It was just because I existed. But I suppose they would have loved me as unconditionally as they ignored me."

"How did they ignore you?" he inquired gently.

"When I was twelve, my parents moved my brother and I into an apartment. Then, they traveled around. Father was a reporter, so they made their money while they went, I guess. They wrote from time to time until I was sixteen. I haven't heard from them since."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Yeah, well, it happens. But I've interrupted you. Please continue."

He nodded slowly. "Well, the money ran out when I was about to go into middle school. It was more expensive, I suppose, so Mom thought it was a good time for me to go to school more near our apartment. She realized I didn't have any friends, and probably thought I could have more if we lived nearby where I went to school.

"She was wrong. It only made things worse. Now the bullies from school could follow me home," he said bitterly.

"Were there always bullies?" she asked.

"Yes. I was, am, not particularly imposing," he replied. "I grew too fast, so they mocked me for being overly tall and thin. They called me Scarecrow. Thus, the monster had a name.

"I don't know when it became his name. I've had him with me, though not separate from me, since I was in early elementary school. He frightened me with his stories of what I might do to people, so they would not tease me. So they would fear me.

"I was frightened all the time. We didn't live in a good part of town, and the other boys from school had it in for me. I believe they were frightened of me. Scarecrow had me believing it, anyway. He feeds on fear; makes him powerful. But, fear or not, they were merciless in their torment. I couldn't escape it. The older I got, the more they beat me, whenever given the chance."

"How terrible," Jenny said softly, holding his hand with both of hers.

"Yes, I suppose it was. But I told myself it didn't matter. One day I would be stronger than them, and then I could make them pay. Scarecrow was gaining control. He kept gaining, all through college. I studied psychiatry, initially with the thought of helping others like myself, to get through trauma. But he twisted it. I delved more deeply into fear, and how powerful it was on the mind. I studied pharmacology to further understand how drugs could adversely affect how you thought. He was deciding my life."

"What made you change? Or does he still?" she asked.

"My mother. I fought with her more and more as she considered getting married. Scarecrow influenced me to fight, because it gave him more power. He feeds off distress. Finally, things got so bad, that she told me she didn't want to see me again. Not until I had dealt with these issues, she said.

"I realized there was a strong part of me that had not wanted to see her happy, that had wanted to see her suffer. I resisted that, and he broke away from me. I don't know what I called him in the beginning." He paused, then smiled grimly. "Oh, yes. I called him Mr. Hyde."

She smiled, equally grim. "How clever."

He shrugged. "I couldn't control him. I wanted to. I wanted to keep this need of hurting people away. But, instead, I had to sate it periodically to continue with normal life. Not that it was really normal. I was always alone. I studied all the time, more and more obscure ways of influencing people and… and hurting them.

"I was student teaching in graduate school, when one day a man came in a gave me a package. I had never seen him before, though he came and delivered many more afterwards. Inside, there was a blue flower, and a note that described its history and uses. It could be used as a hallucinogen, usually showing a person what they feared most. It was used in the East to help a person overcome fear. The note also said that it seemed to be something I would have great interest in, and to do what I could with it."

"Ra's gave it to you," Jenny said.

"Yes. Though I didn't meet him for a long time. I experimented with the flower, creating various drugs that would put a great fear in a person. It wasn't until it was an inhalant that it had the greatest power over the brain. I studied it through the rest of school, and managed to find a position at Arkham. Thanks to Ra's influence, I soon became the head director." He sighed. "And I suppose you can fill in the rest."

"You experimented on the inmates, perfecting the poison. And you sold the formula to Ra's in exchange for a cut of the ransom on the city. But when did you discover his true plan?"

"Not until very recently. But it was already underway. I couldn't do anything to stop it. There was nothing I could do," he said helplessly. "Not with this monster in my head who wanted nothing more than that. He gained power, and I experimented more and more often. He needed their screams, and I was too weak to deny him. I suppose I didn't try very hard, though. I hated the city, thinking it as evil as Ra's claims, and in as much need of being destroyed."

"You think differently now?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. There are good people here. Not many, but perhaps they will gain power. And, if not, they won't last much longer. I can wait until then," he said gravely.

"What good people do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, you being the main one I know," he smiled.

She laughed, and put her arms around him. "Thanks. No one's ever called me that before."

He stroked her hair gently. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	3. I Have Left Everything That I Own

**I Have Left Alone Everything That I Own**

_This dark fever is unstoppable  
This burning chill is unstoppable  
This blackest wish has taken hold  
I'm sorry, it cannot be controlled_

_-Black Light Burns, I Have a Need_

Jenny had gone out again. To work at her friend's diner. Crane was, as usual, alone in the apartment. He'd read all her books already, though that wasn't a great feat. She had few. He was bored, and wondered if this was to be his fate: to wait around for her for the rest of his life. Not that he expected that to be that long. One of the people after him was bound to get tired of waiting, and decide to take care of him. But what until then?

Oh well. He supposed he could wait until Jenny got home and discuss his options with her. She seemed to know everything that was going on in the City, so perhaps she knew of something. And if not… well, we'll see, he thought.

* * *

Crane watched TV for a while. There was nothing on. The news wouldn't have any interesting stories until evening. And by interesting, he meant depressing. They liked to show happy news in the morning. It was not helping with his foul mood. There was no mention of the mob or Batman. It was surprising they could find anything else newsworthy.

He decided, at long last, to go for a walk. It was something to do, anyway. He put on a trench coat and sunglasses, in order to hide his identity somewhat. Not that they were looking for him very hard. Which was strange. Other than initially describing the break out at Arkham, which blamed him, he hadn't been mentioned on the news. But that surely didn't mean they weren't looking for him, though they may presume him dead.

It was a bright, cheerful morning. Crane glared at the sun. The sun did not instill fear, so he'd never liked it much. Remember, you're trying to turn over a new leaf, he told himself. Maybe he could like this kind of thing: sunshine, birds, rainbows. Unlikely. He'd always considered people who liked that sort of thing to be rather ignorant, blissfully so. Fools who denied reality, which was none of those things. They appeared on occasion, but real things were dark and depressing, and deadly.

Needless to say, the walk was not pleasant. He wandered around the block for a while. There were few people on the street. Many residents of the Narrows were packed into hospitals, including Arkham, in order to be treated. Some had to stay longer than others. He smiled cruelly. Some would never recover.

* * *

He returned to the apartment building. He was on his way up the stairs when the door on the bottom floor opened. A large man, wearing a stained apron, stepped out. He looked at Crane in surprise, who stared back impassively.

"Now, who might you be?" the man demanded.

"Why do you ask?" Crane replied calmly.

"Because this is my building and I ain't seen you before," he snapped.

"Well, I am a guest of Jeannette Ducard, if you must know."

"Jenny? What are you to her?" he demanded. "Don't you do anything to her!"

Crane smiled. It was not a nice smile. "I wouldn't presume what I am to her. But she invited me to stay for as long as I like, and I intend to. I have no intention of doing anything to her. Against her will," he added.

The man scowled. "Well, you watch yourself, boy. She's a good friend and I don't want anything bad to happen to her. But if she's mixing with bad company, there ain't much I can do," he said.

"Bad company?" Crane asked, a glint appearing in his eyes, smile broadening.

"I meant no offense," the man said quickly, eyes wide.

"Of course," Crane said placidly, then headed up the apartment, still smiling.

* * *

The room was cool and dark, nice after the brightness of outside. Jonathon sat down on the couch, thinking. Scarecrow was resurfacing. Slowly, but he was there. The inoculation had only made him quiet for a little while. He hadn't expected it to. But perhaps some of him came from occasionally inhaling his own fear gas, so that would be counteracted. Still, he didn't know how long he could keep him sated without lashing out at someone.

* * *

The day passed slowly. Fortunately, Jenny came home for lunch. Or, rather, she came home with lunch. This was even better, since Jonathan frequently forgot to eat. It never seemed very pressing. Perhaps that was why he was so thin still.

"Well, I hope you're hungry," she said as she came in.

He frowned slightly. "Yes, I suppose I am."

"You really should eat more," she told him. "Did you eat yet today?"

He thought. "I don't think so," he said slowly.

She shook her head at him. "How you can get by with so little is beyond me."

"I am more likely to feel the need to feed my intellect, not my stomach," he replied.

She smiled. "Sure."

He knew it wasn't true. He'd fed the monster inside of himself, until he was wasting away. But it felt good to eat again. Real, wholesome food, the sort someone had enjoyed making. Which meant that surely her boss had made it. Her boss. Was he the man from downstairs? Crane was pretty sure he was. He wondered if he should tell Jenny what had happened.

"I took a walk today."

She stopped and looked at him. "Why?"

"I was bored."

"I'm sorry."

"Anyway, when I came back… I ran into a man living downstairs. Who was quite distressed about having me for a neighbor," he added.

"Did he recognize you?"

"No. But he was not happy when I said I lived with you."

"Oh, dear. It must have been Eddie. I'm sorry. I didn't mention you because I didn't want him to freak out," she explained.

"Am I something to freak out over?" he asked emotionlessly.

"Oh, don't take it that way." She paused. "But, yeah. You are a wanted man. Most people don't want me living with known psychopaths," she said matter-of-factly.

"Thanks," he replied, smiling despite himself.

"Anytime," she said sweetly. "Anyway, I'll talk to him. So he doesn't bother you again." Crane's smile turned cold and cruel. "I take it you don't think he'll bother you anyway?" she asked.

He shrugged, turning away. "I don't expect so. But he may have gotten over the shock by now."

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

He looked surprised. "Nothing." He paused. "I can scare people without the use of chemicals, my dear."

She swallowed audibly. "I know."

He looked at her for a moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

She shrugged. "I suppose. I have to go."

After she left, Jonathan wondered if it was fair for him to stay. He might turn on her eventually. Scarecrow would, anyway.

* * *

Crane was left alone again, wondering how long it would be before she returned. He wandered aimlessly about the apartment. This didn't last very long. He opened a closet at random, and was surprised to find it empty. Save for one thing. High on a shelf was a briefcase. He pulled it down. It was his.

Trembling slightly, he brought it over to the kitchen table and set it down. He opened it slowly, anticipation mounting. Inside was his mask. He noted that there was quite a bit of fear gas left. This might come in handy, he thought.

He had only begun to think of all the uses for it he might have, when he shook himself. He stepped deliberately away. He didn't need this. He had Jenny now. He didn't need to frighten everyone. Not like this. He could get his fix just fine by himself, without chemicals. Like he'd said.

Sitting on the couch, he turned on the TV. Maybe there was something on that would distract him.

Or maybe not. A serious looking woman appeared, holding a microphone and standing in the Narrows. Outside Arkham Asylum. Crane found himself unable to change the channel, but paid close attention to what was being said.

"As you can see, the hole where they escaped is here. We don't yet know who let them out. Experts are saying that explosives were placed on the outside. Former head psychiatrist, Jonathan Crane, was previously suspected, but he is known to have been locked inside until after the attack.

"Lieutenant James Gordon interviewed Crane shortly before the attack was done on the city." A picture of Gordon appeared on the screen. Crane didn't recognize him, though he seemed slightly familiar.

The scene changed to the same woman walking down a hallway in Arkham. "It appears that someone pulled the emergency release switch on all the doors, and thus all the inmates that weren't tied down were able to escape. Notably, known mob boss Carmine Falcone was left inside strapped to a chair. Whatever else happened here, he is certainly not mentally stable."

The shot turned to where Falcone lay, twitching and murmuring, "Scarecrow, Scarecrow."

The woman frowned into the camera. "Clearly, the work of a madman. Gordon claims that Dr. Crane was experimenting on his inmates, and that the attack on the city was somehow due to him. But Crane remains missing, so we can only speculate what caused this disaster on our beautiful city. Back to you," she said.

The camera returned to the studio, where a downright dour man peered into it. "Thank you, Barbara. Despite Falcone being apprehended and committed, the mob is still alive and well. An increase in crime has occurred, many of them quite brutal. The new boss is unknown, though he goes by the Joker. Most of his victims appear to have been scared to death. The police are baffled but Harvey Dent, in his campaign for DA, promises he will soon be caught and dealt with accordingly. Now, a word from our sponsor."

Crane continued to stare intently at the television, though he wasn't really seeing it. "Scared to death?" he murmured. "Maybe we have something in common."


	4. If I Don't Belong

**If I Don't Belong, Who Would Have Guessed It**

_I follow these pigs around  
But I never get used to it  
Because they keep building and building  
Their feculent franchise  
I wish I could see this filth  
From someone else's eyes  
Because ignorance was bliss  
But now I must adjust_

_-Black Light Burns, Lie_

Crane continued to watch the news, though they did not again make a mention of the Joker. They did, however, discuss Arkham more.

"Dr. Hugo Strange is the new director at Arkham. He has expressed the need for expansion. As you can see, this building is poorly suited to hold all the new inmates it has received as a result of the attack on the city. Clearly, the toxin released into the air caused more long-term damage than can yet be understood. It is a belief of many that the increase in heinous crimes all over the city is a result of that toxin. Some say that the Joker himself would not have surfaced without it."

Scarecrow smiled cruelly. "Well, I seem to have made an impact. But how to use it? It's hardly fitting that such a genius at terror just sits around waiting on some woman all the time," he hissed. "I think we should go to this Joker person and see if he knows what's good for him. If he can give us a job. You want a job, don't you, Johnny boy? Want to supply for that little woman you've got now?"

Jonathan frowned. "I suppose," he said slowly. He thought a moment. "But I never wanted to work for the mob. They just want money."

"You just want money."

"And to feed you," Jonathan snapped.

He laughed. "Yes, well, that's certainly necessary. But you can take care of two birds with one stone this way," Scarecrow murmured. "And Jenny would certainly like it if you didn't have to live in the Narrows. Think of it, you could afford to live in the city. In a nice apartment, and you won't have to worry about her at all."

Jonathan sighed. "Fine. We'll go see if he's offering anything for someone of my… expertise," he relented. Scarecrow laughed again.

* * *

Surprisingly, it did not take long to find some of the goons he knew that worked for the mob. But Crane was looking for one in particular. He was forced to ask around, but he finally found him in the Narrows, at a bar, of course.

"Hello, Victor. I was wondering if you might step outside," he said pleasantly.

The thug looked up in surprise, his eyes widening. "Dr. Crane. Thought the Batman got you," he said.

"Nonsense. You don't really think someone like him could bring me down, do you?"

Trembling, the man shook his head vehemently. "I don't want no trouble."

"Oh, no, don't worry. I just want to talk to you. Outside. Now," he said, growling the last part.

Victor Zsasz jumped to his feet and quickly made his way outside, careful not to turn his back completely on Crane.

"Such a lovely day," Crane said, looking around. It was foggy. Zsasz looked at him carefully, not sure how to respond.

"Sure thing, boss."

"Oh, I'm not your boss." With startling speed, Crane shoved Zsasz against the wall, on hand closing on his throat. "If I were, I wouldn't have to do this. Fortunately for you, I need some information. Otherwise you'd be screaming by now." Zsasz's eyes widened in terror, and Scarecrow smiled. "Now, I need to know where to find the Joker. Do you think he could find a use for me?" Silence. "Do you?"

"Uh- of course, D-d-doctor," he stuttered.

"We'll see. May not be worth my while. Can you take me to him? Or shall I just get rid of you now?"

"I can!" Zsasz declared quickly.

"Good. Let's go, then. Oh, and by the way, lay one finger on her again, and you'll wish I'd finished with you this time." Crane released his throat, and stepped back.

Nodding fervently, Zsasz stepped slowly sideways, away from Crane. "Okay, this way."

This is fun, Scarecrow thought.

* * *

Crane followed Zsasz to an old warehouse. It's always a warehouse, he thought, smiling.

"He's in there, sir."

"Thank you." He paused, looking the thug up and down. "Why don't you go in and let them know I'm coming? Wouldn't want something bad to happen to me, would you?" he asked.

"N-n-no, of course not."

Crane waited patiently outside until Zsasz returned. "He said he'd be happy to see you."

"Splendid. You may go, if you like."

"Thank you, sir!" He ran off. Crane allowed himself a small laugh before going inside. He needed to be more serious now.

* * *

Unlike visits to Ra's al Ghul, there was no central area in which to do business. The Joker did not sit on a chair before all his men, like a monarch waiting to be addressed. He paced around various boxes and things and shouted orders to men on the edges of the room. Rarely did one approach him if they could help it.

"Ah, Scarecrow. Delighted to meet a brother in arms," Joker called across the room. "Please, come closer," he added, punctuated by a psychotic laugh. It seemed an uncontrolled response.

Crane calmly sauntered closer, and got his first look at the Joker. He was of normal build and height, but that was the end of his normality. He had a chalk white face and broad red lips that resembled a clown. His bright green hair finished the semblance. He wore a bright purple suit, complete with gloves and a comically large cravat. Were it not for the intense look in his eyes, his appearance would have been laughable.

"Well, Dr. Crane. Or is it Scarecrow who comes to visit me?"

"Oh, it's difficult for one to travel without the other," Crane replied.

Joker laughed hysterically. "Yes, isn't it, though? Well, I expected you to come before. I believe I sent for you, or something like that… I can't seem to recall." He shrugged elaborately. "I'm sure it wasn't important. You're here now. What can you do for me?"

Crane watched the man quietly, scrutinizing him. "You know my name, but I don't know yours. I believe you are at an advantage."

"I have no secret identity to hide. But if you must have a name, you can call me Joseph Kerr," he said, laughing again.

Crane considered the pun, thinking the laugh might become annoying. "I suppose I can. What would you like me to do for you?"

Joker smiled. It was worse than his laugh. "I have plenty of henchmen. But it might be fun to see how people react to you. Might be more frightening than of any of them," he waved his hand dismissively.

"I can guarantee that," Crane said softly.

Joker laughed again. "Can you? Well, then we can have all sorts of fun. I don't suppose you'd be willing to give me your formula for that lovely toxin you have?"

Crane smiled thinly. "I'm afraid not. If you had it, what would I have?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Joker said, straight-faced. Crane suppressed a shudder. Joker laughed again. "But we won't worry about that now. You can be my right-hand man, I guess. Who would be better than a shrink to keep around me? Ha ha ha!" He declared, slapping Crane on the back.

Crane frowned. "Who better?" he echoed.

"Well, you can keep track of some of my men who may get out of line. I'm sure, between the two of us, we can keep the whole city in line! But that Batman, he might be a problem. You've faced him before, right?"

"Yes."

"And lost? Ha ha ha! Don't worry; I want to meet him for myself. Then you can have your revenge, if you want," he added.

"Perhaps."

"You are a man of few words, aren't you? Well, scarecrows aren't supposed to talk. You can leave all the joking to the Joker!" he cried, laughing hysterically. He finally stopped. "Well, I forget, you're a serious man. I may have to fix that, Crane," he warned, a glint in his eyes.

Crane smiled. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"Good, good. Now, you just come when you're called and we'll get along fine. How would you like me to reach you? Phone, mail, rotting corpse?" he laughed.

Crane shuddered, not sure what that would mean. "How about Victor Zsasz. Preferably alive. It's easier to use him repeatedly. Otherwise he might smell," Crane said placidly.

Joker laughed. "Now, careful there. Only the Joker can make jokes. But, if that's the method of your choosing, so be it. Ta ta! Keep in touch, Doc. We'll get plenty of crows for you to play with."

"Thanks," Crane said.

"Off you go, then. I have a lot of do," Joker said, with surprising seriousness. Crane turned silently to leave. "Wait, put her there," he said, holding out his hand, a devious smile on his lips. He was wearing a joy buzzer.

Scarecrow smiled harshly. "Use that on less suspecting people. If you don't want a partner, I'll stay out of your way."

Joker laughed in delight. "Oh, this is going to be a lot of fun. You're a quick one. Can hardly wait for you to come back," he declared.

"Me neither," Crane murmured. He left the warehouse safely and hurried home, wondering what he was getting himself into.


	5. Even if I Say It'll Be Alright

**Even if I Say, "It'll Be Alright**

_But I'm doing my best  
And I hope you'll forgive me  
Now that I've confessed  
Because I'm trying to resist  
My heart becoming a fist, forever_

_-Black Light Burns, Can't Stop a Bullet'_

Jonathan Crane walked quietly up the steps to Jenny's apartment. He glanced toward the door from which her boss had come earlier, but he didn't show. Jonathan was relieved. He didn't want another confrontation: he was disturbed by how much he enjoyed it. Don't worry, he told himself, soon you will have a lot of people to torture who aren't connected to you in any way. Like that matters, Scarecrow replied.

Sighing, Crane walked up to the door, and was distressed to find the lights on. He knocked lightly.

"Jenny? It's me," he explained.

The door flew open. She stood before him, looking worried. "Thank God," she said. "Where have you been? I was worried," she added.

"Well, I'm back now," he said.

She frowned as she stepped aside for him to enter. "Another walk?" she asked slowly.

"Yes," he said, without thinking.

"Did you run into anyone this time?"

"No."

She watched him. "All right. Well, would you like dinner?"

Crane considered. He wasn't at all hungry. But he usually wasn't after the Scarecrow had been having some fun. "Sure," he said.

She smiled slightly, then went to the kitchen. He followed more slowly, wondering what he should tell her. She needed to know something. But it could wait, he decided. At least until something happened.

* * *

It did not take long for Zsasz to return. Just the next day, he appeared at the door shortly after Jenny left. Crane followed him to a different warehouse, though its setup was quite the same. Joker was again pacing and laughing hysterically.

He stopped and turned to face Crane when he arrived. "There you are. I have a job for you." He smirked. "Didn't expect a job this early? Well, you volunteered, Crow. I'm sure one of these nice gentlemen can take you and fill you in," he said, waving his hand.

Crane followed one of the thugs, feeling somehow glad that the interview had been so short. He hoped to avoid Joker if possible. He was unpredictable to an extreme degree. He would be nearly unstoppable. Crane was glad they were, dubiously, on the same side.

He was taken to another building off the docks, into a small back room. There was a man gagged and sitting in the corner. He started to tremble when the door opened. "You sposed to make this guy talk," the man who'd led Crane there said.

"About anything in particular?" Crane asked.

The man laughed. "Don't make him crazy, doc. Not till you know everything he does."

"Did he commit some grievous crime against your boss, or is this just a little fun for me?" Scarecrow growled.

The man stepped back. "He tried to go to the police, I think. But Joker's crazy. He could just be some guy in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Very well."

The man paused, then approached the man in the corner. He pulled off his gag, saying, "He don't need that now."

Scarecrow smiled broadly as the door shut behind him. He turned to the man whimpering in the corner. "Time to play."

* * *

Jonathan returned home, smiling frequently the whole way. It had been an enjoyable morning for the Scarecrow, certainly. Jonathan allowed the smiles, feeling glad himself. Sated, Scarecrow went to sleep. It was nice when he slept. It was rare, making it even better for its infrequency.

To his surprise, Jenny was home. "Good morning," he said pleasantly when he came in.

She smiled, but there was a shadow behind it. "Where have you been this fine morning?"

"Around," he said slowly.

She frowned at him. "Guess who I saw when I left."

Crane regarded her silently, his ice blue ice freezing her in place.

"Victor Zsasz," she said when he didn't answer. "Don't tell me you're surprised."

"I wasn't going to."

"What was he doing here?" she demanded.

"He came to see me. Don't worry, he won't touch you," he told her gently, taking her hand.

She sighed, dropping onto the couch. "What are you doing?"

He sighed as well, and sat beside her. He took her hand again. "What's necessary."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"Jenny, I'm sorry. But I can't control him. I have to feed him or he'll take me over," he told her.

"And isn't he taking you over that way?" she hissed.

"Maybe. But he won't hurt you, and that's what most important to me."

She smiled sadly. "How do you feed him?"

"By scaring people. Any fear, for any reason, will do," he explained.

"And how do you get those people?" she murmured.

He regarded her. "I don't just pick people up off the street," he said.

"I didn't say you did."

"I… I work for those who have criminals turn against them, so I take care of those traitors."

She raised an eyebrow. "You obviously aren't working for the police."

"No."

"Who then?" she insisted.

"The Joker," he said at last.

"What?!"

He stood up, pacing around the room. "I'm sorry, Jenny. But I thought, you know, we have a lot in common," he said.

She remained sitting, watching him. "Why?"

"Why what?" he asked tiredly.

"Why did you need to go to him? Couldn't we have found some other way to… to feed him and whatever?"

"I don't know."

"I promised I'd take care of you. That you wouldn't get into trouble while you stayed with me. What if he comes back?"

Batman was only ever 'he.' "I don't know."

"You don't know? What do you know, then?"

"Less than I'd like," he snapped.

"What do you mean?"

"Would you rather I'd worked for Ra's? Do you like him better than Joker? Or Falcone. Would he be better?" Jonathan asked ironically.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Honey, Joker's crazy. More so than anyone you've dealt with, I think. Falcone's crazy now, but at least you could bargain with him. He liked the power of fear, but he liked money, too. He was understandable. You could… you could be his ally. You can't be Joker's, I don't think. He just keeps people around to amuse him, and sometimes tormenting them would be more fun.

"And I know Ra's. He's bent on world domination, and he'll do whatever's necessary. But he won't torture people for the fun of it," she said angrily. She stopped abruptly.

"Of course," Crane said emotionlessly. "Who would?"

"Jonathan, I'm sorry. But it's true. There's no telling what you might do, if Scarecrow's loose all the time. Ra's knew there was a time and a place for that, not just whenever you felt like it. Joker will let this thing out of you, and feed him more than ever before. I don't want to lose you," she said softly.

Crane sighed. "You aren't going to lose me."

She watched him silently for a long moment. "How can you know?"

He shook his head slowly. "I don't."

"Then, maybe, I shouldn't have let you stay."

"Maybe you should have let Batman take me to the police? So I could be locked in my own asylum and slowly become as crazy as Joker? I'd escape eventually. You know I would. And I would have nothing holding me back from having play time with the whole city," he said harshly.

Jenny sniffled. "I know. That's why I let you stay."

"Did you think you could change me?"

"No. I hoped you might change yourself, though," she murmured.

"I want to. I want to be that normal guy, with a desk job, who comes home to his wife and children. I wanted to be someone people like and get along with. But I'm not. I'm not the man of your dreams, Jenny."

She snorted, turning away. He sat down next to her.

"I've long since given up on dreams like that," she said.

"I know. I'm sorry," he said softly.

They were silent for some time.

"I never wanted a normal guy. I never wanted anyone. Until I met you. Then I started to hope you might be… be…" She trailed off. "I don't know."

"I can't be anyone else, Jenny," he said sadly, rising. She watched him walk away.

"Why not?" she whispered.


	6. Still I Hear You

**Still I Hear You**

_Get away and save yourself  
Turn away and don't look back  
Get away and save yourself  
Grey skies are turning black  
I'm aching for you  
But you're bound to bleed if I adore you_

_-Black Light Burns, Coward_

There was a light knock on the door in the middle of the night. Crane rose slowly and went to look out. There was no one there. He frowned, wondering if he was being summoned. Dressing quickly, he moved silently out the door. Zsasz stood in the shadows several feet away. He was silent.

"Well, what do you want?" Crane asked.

"Nothing. But he's got a job for you."

"Now?"

"Yes." Pausing, Zsasz smiled slightly. "I don't think he sleeps, sir."

"Of course not," Crane muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, then, let's go. Any idea how long this will take?"

"You should be back to your woman before dawn," was the prompt reply.

Crane glared at him. "She doesn't exist, Zsasz. Remember that."

"Yes, sir. Of course."

* * *

To Crane's surprise, they did not go to the docks on the Narrows. Zsasz led him to a taxi, which they both got in discreetly. The driver started right away, and refused to look at either of them. They went into the city itself, which was somewhat of a relief: it was less likely he would see anyone he knew. Or knew him.

The taxi drove up into a parking garage, circling up to the second highest floor. It came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the section. Zsasz climbed out hastily, and Crane followed more slowly. As soon as they had closed their doors, the taxi sped away. Crane smiled.

"So, what are we doing here?" he asked conversationally.

Zsasz looked around apprehensively. "I don't know. I was just told to get you here. He don't tell me nothing. Fortunately," he mumbled.

"Well, I suppose we'll just wait, then?" Crane suggested, smile broadening.

"I guess."

They were silent, waiting. Suddenly, a van screeched up the ramp, barely pulling to a halt in time before them. Well, before Crane: Zsasz had jumped away. The door on the side of the van flew open and six masked men leapt out and ran to surround the two. Crane surveyed them silently. The front door opened and a man in a suit stepped out.

"Dr. Crane?" the man asked.

"Yes."

"These men are for you. A little present from a friend," he said, handing him a card. Unsurprisingly, it was a joker.

"What shall I do with them?"

The man smiled coldly. "What you're instructed. See that building over there?"

Crane followed where he pointed. It was an office building. The floor level with them was brightly lit and appeared to be a party of some sort. "Yes."

"He wants you to go there and be yourself," he said significantly. "Can you handle that?"

"I think I can. What do I need them for?" He motioned to the men.

"Oh, they may come in handy. Can get you in. Unless you're invited, of course," the man continued, smile broadening.

"I'm afraid not."

"Well, then," he said, as if that explained everything.

"Is there anything in particular? Anyone I should spare or focus on?" Crane asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Nope. Just go crazy." He laughed hysterically. "Though it may be too late for that, eh, doc?"

"It's possible," Crane replied, turning away. The man got back in the van. Before he shut the door, Crane said, "Thanks, Joker."

Hysterical laughter followed that. "I knew he was a quick one," Joker declared as the van sped away.

Zsasz looked at Crane in surprise. "How'd you know that was him?"

"I'm a psychiatrist." The men smiled.

"Oh."

* * *

It was harder than anticipated to get into the business building. The front entrance was, of course, guarded. And Crane wanted to make a good entrance, not just come in the door. The men were surprisingly helpful in suggesting alternate entrances. But, of course, if they worked for Joker, they were used to theatricality. Much to the delight of everyone involved, there was some scaffolding rigged up for the floor above. It would be quite easy to change the floors, once they got up there. Or so Crane was assured.

Finally, he decided to just go in the front door. With luck, he could keep the alarm from being set off and get to the floor above the party without incident. He was glad he was wearing one of his finer suits.

He knocked lightly on the glass doors, peering in at the guard station. Lest he make the guard suspicious, he waved dramatically and forced a smile showing his teeth. The guard rose and walked slowly to the door.

"What do you want?" he asked, calling through the door.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Crane said, leaning heavily on the frame. He stepped back, flailing a little. "I just lost track of time. But my fiancée's up there, and I don't want her to have to wait. You could let me in, couldn't you? It would be a great favor," he said enthusiastically.

"Well, I guess I could let you in," the guard muttered.

He opened the door. Crane stumbled in, smiling the whole way. "Thanks so much," he slurred. Spotting a nearby vase, he stumbled toward it.

"Whoa, there," the guard said, catching his arm.

"So sorry," Crane said, snatching the vase. He brought it down hard over the guard's head. He dropped like a stone. Smiling, he said, "Come on, boys. Let's go have some fun."

* * *

They made it to the elevator without incident. The guard's ID card had to be swiped to operate them, but that was no problem. They rode up to the floor above the party, and Crane waited patiently by the window while his men worked with the scaffold. He listened to the sounds of merriment downstairs, remembering the few parties to which he had been invited. There was a few when he worked at the University, despite the faculty's dislike of him. He had, of course, spent most of the evening alone. He couldn't remember going to any parties at Arkham. He didn't know if there had been any. He'd long since decided they were a waste of his valuable time. Given the high stress of the environment, he would have thought there'd be many. But perhaps not. Perhaps people just wanted to get out of there and pretend they'd never entered.

Crane hadn't felt that way. He'd enjoyed working there; it had given him a great deal of freedom. There was a downside to that, of course. But he didn't care. He was more suited to psychiatry than anything else he'd done. He understood those crazies, though he had always considered himself not part of them.

He wondered at being now put in the same group as his former patients. Perhaps he had just enjoyed being the "normal" guy for once. Maybe that was the real reason he was working for Joker. Was there no one left who was more insane, then? It was a depressing thought. He considered if Jenny thought him insane. Probably. What did she think of him, really? He didn't know.

She was important to him. She'd saved his life, of course. And, because of her, Jonathan was aware again. He'd been asleep a long time. Would he sleep again if she were gone? Did he want to? Should he just give up and let Scarecrow be himself forever? He couldn't now, of course. He couldn't let anything bad happen to her. He didn't understand why she would let him stay with her, thus putting herself so at risk for him to attack her. But, strangely, he hadn't felt much desire to. She was the only woman not to look at him with disgust or fear in a long time, and it was extremely satisfying. But, surely, Scarecrow would want to hear her scream before long.

Crane was just considering whether he should leave her and work for Joker full time when Zsasz approached him tentatively. "Yes?"

"They're almost ready, sir."

"Almost? Why are you bothering me, then?"

"We were just wondering what the plan was," he said quickly, stepping back.

"Well, I don't know. I wasn't planning on having help," Crane replied. "Do you all want to help?"

"Depends on what we're doing, sir," someone said.

"Yes, I suppose so. Hmm. I was going to gas the room and then have some fun. But don't touch them. I don't know if Joker wants a mass homicide. They'll probably hurt themselves as much as anything," he added disdainfully.

"Joker likes homicide," someone grumbled.

Crane smiled. "I don't."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Downstairs, the party was going on, people dancing and drinking and flirting. Crane stood outside the window, shaking his head sadly. He was glad he wasn't subjected to this sort of thing anymore. He carefully kept from thinking of what he was subjected to nowadays.

He broke the glass. People screamed and leapt away, some laughing. He stepped into the room, surveying it. He wore his mask already, and people were rather surprised. In their drunken stupor, most laughed.

"Look, he's wearing a burlap sack," someone slurred.

"Yeah, who would do that?"

"A Scarecrow," he replied.

"Scarecrow? Get something from the wizard for me," someone said, laughing.

"I already saw him. He gave me this," Crane said, smiling broadly. He threw a canister into the crown, which immediately began to pour out fear gas. Screams filled the room, barely covering the sound of Scarecrow's laughter.


	7. Say You Want to End Your Life

**Say You Want to End Your Life**

_You are the one that earned me  
Lit the match and burned me  
But somehow I can't give you all the blame  
Because I'm the one who met you  
I wish I could forget you  
But I keep crawling back to fan the flames_

_-Black Light Burns, Fall Below_

By the time Jonathan woke up the following morning, Jenny was gone. He couldn't remember when he had gotten back the night before. It was a long one, he was sure. But he was also certain that it had been before dawn. But he was very tired, so perhaps not much before.

He rose and showered and dressed, then sat down to eat breakfast. He was surprised to find he was famished. He wondered when he'd last eaten. Probably dinner last night. But staying up half the night not eating was not a good plan. Usually, however, he'd found that feeding Scarecrow was like feeding himself, and he wasn't hungry afterward. How strange, he thought.

Jonathan ate quickly, then decided to watch the news. It might have him on it, though he found himself hoping not. There had been no previous proof that he was still alive, and, anyway, Batman had promised to leave him alone. But what did he expect him to do? Settle down in the suburbs and raise a family? Unlikely.

He turned the television on and flipped to the news channel. He sat through a boring story about the benefits of exercise, which he figured you'd have to be an idiot not to know. Then, the anchor looked seriously at the camera and said there was another attack on the city that would be covered after the break.

The wait was impatient until the commercials ended. "Hello. I'm Michael Matthews and I'm standing just outside the Cooper Building downtown. Last night, there was an office party on the eleventh story. What happened there is unclear. Sometime around three in the morning, the security guard was found by his replacement, knocked out apparently by a vase near the front door.

"Assuming burglary, the guard set off the alarm and went to evacuate the party-goers. When he got upstairs, he found the whole floor full of a strange fog, believed to be like that which was let loose in the Narrows not so long ago. Thanks to measures from the incident, the guard had been inoculated already to that sort of attack. Thus, he was able to get into the room unaffected.

"It appears that someone at the party let loose a great deal of the gas, and everyone went mad. They are now in intensive care in the hospital. It is believed that most of them will recover, given advances in medicine." Crane laughed at that. "However, it is unlikely that they will live without the effects of the attack. What happened is unknown. There is no record of any forced entry, though a pane of glass is broken. But there is not way for someone to have reached it, so it may be an after effect of the attack."

Crane recalled that they had put the scaffolding back where it had been. The rest of the evening was fuzzy, however.

"Who could have done this is unknown. But it is considered to be related to the attack on the Narrows. It may be a new form of attack from the Joker Killer. The only hint is that the victims all share a fear of something called 'Scarecrow,' thought details remain mysterious."

The news moved onto another story. Crane was rather relieved that they hadn't mentioned him. Surely he was tied to the attack on the Narrows? He did wonder at his anonymity. Perhaps he was presumed dead, or at least run away. But it wouldn't be long, he knew, before Batman returned. He, and Rachel Dawes, knew who Scarecrow was. Crane wondered if anyone else knew him by that name. Other than the people from last night, of course.

* * *

It was with some trepidation that Jonathan waited for Jenny to come home. He didn't know if he should tell her or not. She knew he was working for Joker, of course. But she didn't know exactly what he did. She would hear soon enough, since he was essentially on the news. She certainly knew who Scarecrow was.

Finally, the door opened and she came in. She looked tired. "Hi," she mumbled, stumbling in the kitchen.

"Good afternoon. Long day?" he asked.

She smiled grimly. "Something like that."

"Anything I can do?"

She put her things down on the kitchen counter, then returned to the living room. "Move over, for starters," she said, dropping next to him on the couch.

He smiled. "Of course."

"And maybe make dinner? Or I could call Eddie and see if he'll drop something by," she added.

"That would probably be best," he said.

She picked up the phone and made her request. "Can you go down to get it?" she asked him. He nodded. "Okay. He said to come in about ten minutes."

"That's fine."

Silence. Then, "You look tired. Did you sleep well?" Jenny asked.

"When I finally got to sleep," Jonathan replied truthfully. She smiled faintly, then leaned back and closed her eyes. He watched her silently. "Well, I suppose I should go," he said at last."

"I suppose," she echoed, not opening her eyes.

He rose and headed out the door. Down the stairs he went, wondering if Eddie would remember him, and how that would go. When he knocked on the door, however, a woman answered.

"Can I help you?" she asked nervously.

"I'm sorry. Does Eddie live here?" Crane asked politely.

"Are you Jenny's… friend?"

"Yes."

She turned back inside, then returned, handing him a covered dish. She smiled at him. "Well, she has good taste, I think," she said with a wink.

"Thank you," he said awkwardly. She laughed and closed the door. He went back upstairs.

Opening the door was difficult, but he managed. Jenny was nowhere in sight, which was strange. He hadn't thought she'd be moving anytime soon. He put the dish down on the table and sat down to wait.

"So, Scarecrow, did you have a nice night?" she asked, coming out of her bedroom.

He regarded her. "Turned on the news, I take it?"

"Yes."

"You know I'm working for Joker now."

"Yes. But I thought you'd be working more… privately. I didn't think you'd be openly attacking the city!"

"Jenny, it was hardly openly. They don't even know I did it, and they probably won't. Once they get everyone back to normal, they won't remember anything."

"How do you know?" she asked. He looked at her gravely. She sighed. "I suppose you would know. So, you're still relatively unknown to the public. Everyone knows who Joker is, and you're just his pawn?"

"If that. I suspect they'll believe Scarecrow is just another facet of Joker," Crane replied, wondering why that was disappointing.

"So, why don't you just give him the bloody fear gas and let it just be another facet of him?" she snarled.

He paused to consider. "Because it's safer in my hands. I have some scruples, you know. He doesn't have any, I think."

"Well, you have a point," she conceded.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked after a few minutes.

"I don't know." She contemplated that. "I don't want you going out there, where you let out that monster and bury yourself more. Not to mention I don't want you using your brilliance to work for evil instead of good."

"Well, it's kind of hard for a fugitive to get a job helping people," Crane replied.

"I know. And I know it would be bad for you to repress him."

"He reacts violently when repressed," he said.

"I'm sorry."

"So, what's the solution?"

She sighed. "I guess to just continue on. But I'm scared for you. Terrified, even," she murmured.

"Don't tell me that," he said quickly.

She smiled. "No, I suppose not. But I do worry."

"I know what I'm doing. I've worked for less than savory people for a long time," he reassured her.

"Yeah. But none like this."

"No, none like this. But I've also worked with crazy people for some time," he said, smiling.

She smiled back slowly. "I guess so."

"Arkham is for the criminally insane. Of course, there lately, most of our patients were sane and just favors for the Falcone. When they got there, anyway."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure they deserved it," she grumbled.

His smile broadened. "That could be. It's how I liked to look at it."

"What about last night? Did they deserve it?"

The smile faded. "Maybe," he said slowly.

"What do you think Joker would do if you stood up to him and said you wouldn't attack innocents?"

"Probably tell me they weren't innocent."

"Then what will you do?" she asked.

"I don't know. I could probably show some more restraint in whom I let him set me on. It may keep Batman from coming quickly, if he thinks maybe Joker got his hands on some fear gas."

"So, no more mass attacks?"

"No more," he said gently. "If I can do it without risking Joker's wrath. But he seems to like me."

"That's creepy," she said with a smile.

"You have no idea."


	8. Now and Again

Now and Again

_I'm building a house of murderous intentions_

_To keep it all from coming down, I've got to focus my attention_

_Because confidence is key when violating trust_

_I'm making sure that I believe I'm doing what I must_

_Now I'm burning alive, just like you_

_-Black Light Burns, Lie_

Time passed. Crane was never able to keep track of it very well, and this new nocturnal life made it more difficult. Zsasz came nearly every evening for him, though this was not always followed by any terrorizing. Sometimes he was taken to the Joker, who just talked to him for a while. There seemed to be nothing relevant about this, so it set Crane on edge. One occasion stuck in his memory:

"Well, Scarecrow, what do you do with your time?"

"Work for you," he replied.

Joker laughed. He always laughed, not always for any apparent reason. "But you are not here all the time. You have some home to go to, anyway. One which you didn't have before you became famous," he said, looking at Crane intensely.

"Yes. It's rather uncomfortable, though. I won't bore you with the inconveniences of living on the run."

"Well, you must not have to run too much. Victor there can always find you."

"Not too much," he said evasively.

"Or does Victor live with you, too?" Joker asked, eyes glinting.

"No," Crane said quickly. Too quickly. "I have no idea what he does with himself when he's not waking me up in the middle of the night," he said more slowly.

"Of course not."

Joker let the matter drop. Crane hoped it would not come up again.

Other than that incident, he felt relatively safe. Not comfortably so. He didn't let down his guard and mention anything about himself. But that was easy: he'd never done so in his recollection. He was there for a job and wouldn't dwell on it when he was gone, nor would he dwell on home when he was there. It was the most efficient way, he thought.

He did suggest to Joker that he would prefer only those who had done some crime for his letting loose. Joker had laughed and asked if he were acquiring a conscience. He said no, but Joker appeared to have gone along with the request. Most of the men he was sent to were the sort that had worked for the mob at some point, then turned on them for some reason. Crane had never liked people who couldn't choose a side. Those who changed whenever the wind blew were not reliable and neither side could trust them. Might as well ignore them completely. Some discernable loyalty, even to money, was all that he asked. Money was an easy loyalty to understand, and easier to track. One could keep track of what the police were offering, so traitors could be easily predicted.

As he spent more time with the Joker, Crane began to value predictability much more. The man was, of course, quite mad. But he wasn't always the same way. He varied from being a seemingly harmless trickster to a vicious and sadistic psychopath. Crane preferred the latter, if only because it was the worst possible manifestation of the man. If he were playing the trickster, there was no knowing when he might turn out to be considerably more sinister than he appeared.

Nights passed slowly for Crane when he was being subjected to the Joker's scrutiny and alleged humor. It was faster, though less memorable, when he was allowed to let Scarecrow out to terrorize hapless victims. He tried to question what they had done before he decided how much to torture them. Sometimes, though, he couldn't resist going all out. This came when it had been a while since he'd been allowed to. He wondered if Joker planned it that way.

Crane slept for much of the day, while Jenny was at work. He woke up just in time for her to come home most of the time. He enjoyed his evenings with her. Perhaps more than his nights being Scarecrow. But he wasn't sure. Combining them made life more pleasant than he could remember it being in a long time.

Of course, time spent with Jenny seemed more wholesome than his nights working for Joker. And any moment spent with the psychopath was rather disturbing. But he felt it was necessary for him to continue in his pseudo-life with Jenny for him to get rid of his harsh desires elsewhere. He didn't want to hurt her.

Jenny found the arrangement somewhat less satisfying. She was lonely. Sometimes, she found time to come home during that day, when he was asleep. As adorable as he looked in his sleep, it served to cause more distress. He was not like that when he was awake. The same give-nothing expression, perhaps, but nothing else. And his disturbingly blue eyes were closed. He seemed a different person then. She hadn't realized how integral they were to his personality.

She spent most of her days and some evenings at Eddie's diner. Given Jonathan's schedule, she tried not to work evenings. She did want to see him when she could. Any time spent without him made her question what she was doing. Why did she live with a sadistic psychopath? It was a dangerous question to consider, since she wasn't sure what the answer might be.

There was a positive side to this change. Much as it terrified her to have someone close to her anywhere near the new mob boss, the money was welcome. She no longer had to catch the wanted men and deliver them for payment. Being a bounty hunter had been enjoyable, but with the changes the city was undergoing, she was glad not to have to anymore. She would not want to report to Joker in the place of Falcone. Ra's was gone. Batman didn't offer money. The police were a good source. She supposed that, should such a thing arise, she would turn anyone in to the police, like a good, law-abiding citizen. It was an interesting thought.

Because she no longer worked in the evenings most of the time, Jenny saw less and less of Lisa. She found this strange, since Lisa had been quite a partygoer in the evenings. But perhaps being kicked out of Bruce Wayne's birthday, without catching his glance, had caused her to lose confidence. She had, however, attended a few parties since then. It was really her niche, after all.

One afternoon, however, Lisa invited Jenny over. She was excited by this, glad to get the chance to spend time with her best friend.

"So, how's life?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, you know, wild and crazy. I go to parties and get invited out on dates all the time. It's interesting."

"Have you heard from Wayne?"

"Not lately. I guess he's busy," she said dismissively.

"You're fine with that?"

"Well, he's not seeing anyone else, so, yeah."

"If you can't have him no one can?" Jenny teased.

"Pretty much," Lisa said, grinning. "So, how's your shrink doing?"

"Well." Jenny paused, trying to figure out how much to tell. "He's working again."

"For who?" Lisa asked.

"The Joker."

"What?! Why?" Lisa demanded, eyes wide.

"It's hard to get a job when you're wanted, apparently," Jenny said dryly.

"Well, yeah, I guess so. And you're okay with that?"

She shrugged. "It makes him happy."

Lisa stared at her incredulously. "It makes him happy? What else do you put up with for that reason?"

"Nothing comes to mind," Jenny replied thoughtfully.

Lisa shook her head slowly. "You're mad, Jen."

"Probably," she said with a sweet smile.

They were quiet for a moment. "Well, I see you'd like me to turn to other topics. But don't think we can stay away from this for long," Lisa teased.

"I'm sure. So, how's working going for you? Interfering with partying?"

"Not too badly. Eddie's been pretty flexible with me, so if there's an important one, I can make an appearance."

"What's your goal with this?" Jenny asked.

"To get married, of course."

"To someone with money."

"Naturally. Preferably someone young and handsome."

"What if you don't like him?"

"Well, then… make him old and soon to die. That would also be a good suitor," Lisa said seriously.

"I'm sure," Jenny said, laughing.

"Don't laugh. I've planned it all out quite carefully."

"Oh, yes, I know. Still, it seems far too much trouble to go through."

"Well, I could take your route and just pick him up off the street. But they don't always provide well. How's he doing for you in that respect?" Lisa said abruptly.

Jenny paused. "Well, it's kind of nice. I don't have to have any side jobs, if you know what I mean. I can just work at the diner and it's enough to get by. Probably more than enough. I don't know how much he gets paid."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to think about it."

"About how much he gets paid or what he does for it?"

"What he does, naturally. I have no problem with getting large sums of money," Jenny said with a smile.

"So, pretty well, then?"

"Yeah."

"So, does he let his alternate personality out when you're around?" Lisa asked slowly.

"No. Not yet."

"What will you do when he does?"

"I don't know," Jenny said, frowning in distress.

Lisa patted her arm. "How are things, really?"

"I'm losing him," she murmured. "I'm losing him to that monster. He leaves earlier, and doesn't sleep before hand. I don't know what to do."

"Jenny, honey, maybe you should leave him."

"Maybe."


	9. We Try To Just Stay Alive

We Try to Just Stay Alive

_If you could sell a lie_

_To make me want to come back again…_

_I thought I was above you_

_I hate that I love you_

_-Black Light Burns, Animal_

Jenny walked quickly home, thinking hard. Why did she live with him? Was she just so lonely that she'd take anyone? Or did they have a connection? What that could be, she didn't know. But she wasn't willing to kick him out. Not given what he'd become if she weren't there. She wouldn't unleash Scarecrow on the world just because she was tired of putting up with him herself. She found herself wondering if other women who found themselves 'married to the mob,' so to speak, felt the same way. What was their rational? Was it worth it? Maybe.

She wondered if she was making up for her brother, having lost him to the mob. Perhaps that was why she was so determined to keep Jonathan away from it. And Renee. She'd lost her as well, though it had been less surprising. She'd let Renee go. She'd fought for Alex and failed. Was that what she was doing now? Just replaying the past in hopes of changing it? That was silly. You can't change the past, she told herself firmly.

It was getting dark. She should have left Lisa's earlier. But, somehow, she didn't care. She would get home when she got there, whether Jonathan was there or not. She wanted some time apart to think about her motives, which she couldn't understand. His presence thoroughly threw her off, it seemed.

Or she was pushing him away. She always seemed to be doing that to people. But her parents had abandoned her, so surely it was understandable that she didn't want to let people in? Maybe. Or maybe people thought she should be over that by now. She was, mostly. Just as she was mostly over her brother's death. And Renee's involvement in that death. She sighed. Trust was not something she could handle very well. But she got along quite well with Lisa, she thought. "Congratulations, you can trust one person," she growled softly.

Oh well. She could think more on it when she got home. 'It' being her life and what she was getting herself into. Nothing safe, of course. But she'd left the chance for safe life long ago, due to her siblings leaving it first. Renee then Alex had gone over to Ra's al Ghul, who involved both of them with the mob. That was the death of Alex. And Renee was a shadow of her former self. So, why was she doing this? Clearly, insanity ran in the family, she thought grimly.

She turned the corner onto an alleyway across from her apartment. Almost there, she thought. It didn't appear that her lights were on, which was something of a relief. She would like some time alone to think when she got there.

"Excuse me," a voice said.

She spun around, searching for the source. Then she looked up. A dark shape hung above her head. She jumped back against the wall, trying to decide where to run. He dropped to the ground in front of her, and looked down at her. Batman. His brown eyes glared coldly down at her. He towered over her.

"I think we need to talk, Miss Ducard," he said gravely.

"What about?" she said, in attempt at cheerfulness.

"I think you know. Is he home, or would prefer to continue our conversation here?"

"I don't think he's home. Shall we?" she asked. She turned abruptly and walked home. Unsurprisingly, he didn't seem to follow her. When she reached the door, he appeared again on the landing. She sighed inwardly. That would get annoying. She was jumpy enough as it was. She opened the door, and was somewhat relieved to find the place empty.

She strode in confidently. "Would you like anything?" she asked. "Can I take your… cape?"

"No."

She smiled. "Have a seat." He chose to stand menacingly by the door. She sat down on the couch, peering up at him. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Crane."

"What about him?"

"Do you still have him?"

"In a manner of speaking," she said slowly.

He stared at her intensely. She was silent. "Would you care to elaborate?"

She shrugged. "His personality has split quite nicely. I have one half. The other I don't know."

"Can he control that half?"

Frowning, she shook her head. "Not really. Well, sort of. Like I said, I don't know it. He's kept him away from me. But he can't suppress him completely."

Batman grimaced. "Do you think he ever will?"

"I don't know."

"Has there been any change in his behavior since he came here?"

"How should I know? I didn't know him before," she said sharply.

The Dark Knight scowled at her. "Answer the question."

She found herself more intimidated than she could ever remember being. Strange. "I… I don't know. He seems happier now, I think."

"Do you know why?"

"Well, partially because there's a reason for… for the normal half to take over for a while, and he likes being normal."

"How do you know?"

"He told me."

"You're willing to trust the word of a psychopath?" he asked politely.

"I'm willing to let him live with me," she shot back.

"Good point." He looked at her expectantly. She stared at him blankly. "You said that's partially the reason. Do you know the rest?"

She sighed. "Have you been watching the news?"

"That's why I'm here," he said.

"I figured. Well, I think that's why. He can let the demon out, for a little while. Makes it easier to cage it the rest of the time, it seems."

"Does it? I would think it would make it harder to cage again, once it has enjoyed freedom," was the cold reply.

"I don't know. I'm not a shrink. I don't know what's going on in his head," she said.

"You told me you could keep him sane."

"Did I?" she muttered.

"How did you plan on doing that if you don't know what's going on?"

"I don't know. These things take time," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"I don't have time."

"Why not?"

"I have enough to deal with without worrying about your boyfriend going off and terrorizing my city," he snapped.

She smiled coolly. "I don't think he will."

"Why not?"

"He requested not to be sent after crowds again. He prefers to work one-on-one. Preferably on those actually guilty of a crime," she added.

"Requested?" he demanded.

She winced. Perhaps she shouldn't have said that. "Yes."

"Who's he taking orders from?"

"The Joker."

"What?" he hissed.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "He needed a job. It pays well."

"Does it come with benefits?" he snarled.

She smiled despite herself. "No. It has more risks than benefits. But what can you do?"

"Go to jail," was the harsh response.

"Now, don't be that way. I'm sure he'd be better served out here than in there," she assured him.

He sighed. "How exactly did he come in contact with Joker?"

She thought. "I believe he has Victor Zsasz running between them."

"Zsasz?"

"A thug. The last one Jonathan moved to Arkham before… all that."

"Yes. All that," he said mockingly.

She shrugged. "Anyway, that's how they keep in contact. How Joker gets a hold of Zsasz, I don't know. Or where they meet. Different places, I guess."

"Have you any further insight on Joker?"

Jenny paused to consider. "I'm afraid not. We don't talk about him, much."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No. I swear I know nothing I haven't already told you. He's running the mob now. Everyone is in terror of him, especially those who work for him. I don't know what he's planning, though. Something terrifying, I'm sure." She shuddered.

"Well, I'll put a stop to it."

"I'm sure you will," she said with a smile.

"If you hear anything, will you tell me?" he asked gravely.

"Of course," she said seriously.

"Good. One more thing, Miss Ducard."

"Yes, Mr. Wayne?" she said, smiling again.

"What if Crane is involved?"

"With what?"

"Joker's plot."

She frowned. "If _Scarecrow_ is involved. I'm sure Joker would like him to be."

"What do you want me to do about that? I won't do anything to him if he's not causing trouble, I promised. But what if he is?"

She sighed heavily. "Then you can take him down."


	10. Maybe We'll Turn it Around

Maybe We'll Turn it Around

_Let me go_

_This isn't what I wanted_

_I can't be here anymore_

_Let me go_

_This isn't what I needed_

_I can't exist here anymore_

_-Black Light Burns, One of Yours_

Jenny sat in her dark living room. She hadn't turned any lights on after it had become fully dark. In fact, she hadn't moved since Batman had left. She was deep in thought. Jonathan wouldn't be back till nearly dawn, and she intended to use that time to figure out if she would allow him to stay or not.

Weighing the pros and cons did not help. There were few pros. She loved him, and he seemed to love her. As much as he was capable of, anyway. And, being rational, she knew the money was very good. It was a cushy life she was destined for, she thought with a smile.

But the cons, though not more extensive than the pros, looked to be more important. He was wanted, for one. They would always be hunted, or at least watched carefully. Then there was the not inconsequential fact that he had a split personality, or nearly so. And the other half was sadistic and delighted in the terror of others. It was only a matter of time before she was put in that category.

Before, she reflected, those were the only problems. She had decided it was worth the risk. But now there was another problem: his boss. Joker was by far more disturbing than Scarecrow. He had no alternate personality keeping him sane. And it would surely delight him to torture both of them. Though mainly her, she figured. She didn't think he knew about her. What would he do if he did? Nothing she wanted to think about. Was she willing to risk that? Probably not.

So, she had only two options. One was to get rid of Jonathan. But that hardly seemed a wise idea. He was sane while he was with her. She couldn't let him just go. She'd have to turn him in, which would be horrible to him. Probably break whatever sanity he had left. She knew he'd leave if she asked. So perhaps she could make it appear that she had no idea he was being captured. That might work.

Her other option seemed less likely. If she could get Jonathan away from Joker, somehow, they would be safe. For a while, anyway. But he enjoyed working there, and it seemed unwise to do anything to upset Joker. It would have been better if he'd never gone in the first place, she thought bitterly.

She would have to confront him. Give him an ultimatum. It was either her or Joker, she thought. It was a laughable statement. What could she do for revenge? Nothing. Joker had a great deal more power. Perhaps she should run away. Let the pieces fall where they may. It seemed like quite a good idea, actually.

Crane had left quite early that evening. He'd been in the middle of his nap when there was a loud knocking on the door. He grumbled to himself as he got up. What could anyone want now, he wondered. Unless it was an emergency, he shouldn't be needed for a few hours. He laughed grimly at the thought. It was like he was a psychiatrist again.

He made himself presentable, then grabbed his briefcase. He walked to the door, then froze. There were a lot of people out there. He set his briefcase down beside the door, and peered out.

"Come out, Doc," a singsong voice said. Joker.

Crane gulped. How had he found out where he lived? He was very thankful Jenny wasn't at home, and hoped desperately she wouldn't be for some time. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then opened the door, looking impassive.

"Doc, how delightful to see your lovely home," Joker said, pushing inside. A group of his men remained on the porch, looking torn between amusement and terror. This was usually the case when Joker was around, Crane had noticed.

"Of course," he replied quietly. "What brings you here?"

"Well, you never invite me over, and I've had you over to play many times," Joker replied. His bright smile hid something particularly sinister.

"What a terrible error I've made," Crane said slowly.

"Exactly," Joker responded happily. He skipped around the apartment. Crane wondered frantically how much was evident that would make Jenny's existence known.

"I hope you'll forgive my rudeness," he said, hoping to stall a little.

"Oh, I may."

That didn't sound good. "Do you have a job for me this evening?"

"Of course I do! That's what I hired you for," he replied, followed by his usual maniacal laughter.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

Joker smiled cheekily. "I think not. You never do."

"I'm sorry," he said promptly.

"I doubt that."

Much as Crane worried, they did not spend long at the apartment. He was very relieved when they left. Jenny had, so far, escaped notice. He hoped anxiously that this would remain the case. He had worked too hard to protect her from himself to let her be subjected to something worse.

He then followed Joker and his men out to a van a few streets away. He wondered what had happened to Zsasz. The man had not been part of the group, but clearly had been the reason they knew how to find him. Wasn't he? Crane didn't dare think about another way. Following him would probably have revealed Jenny's presence. Hopefully it was Zsasz.

To his surprise, Crane was allowed to ride in the front seat. The men climbed into the back. Joker himself took the wheel. "You may want to hold on," he said, before laughing hysterically.

Crane did as was suggested, and was glad to have done so. Joker drove as erratically as he did anything else. Crane fought the urge to close his eyes throughout most of the drive. This may have been the aim, for he was soon quite lost. He wasn't even sure if they'd left the Narrows or not. This didn't bode well. But he supposed he'd signed up for this, so he'd just have to wait and see what resulted. He'd be ready to attempt an escape, anyway. He was glad to have brought his briefcase with him. He felt quite powerless without it. Especially against Joker.

"What are you all tensed up about, Doc?" Joker asked conversationally at some point.

"Your driving," Crane replied. He shut his eyes as they sped around a turn.

"Ha ha ha! Yes, it is a bit off. I usually have one of the boys drive. But it's terribly fun," he said with surprising sincerity. Cars whizzed by, honking, their drivers gazing at them in terror. Crane could see what he meant.

"Do you want to attract attention?" he asked.

"I love attracting attention," Joker declared. Somehow, Crane was not surprised. "Where's the fun in sneaking around all the time?"

"I don't really know," Crane said, when he figured an answer was expected.

"Of course not."

They came to a jolting stop. They were in the middle of a bridge. Crane looked around, wondering why they would stop here. A sick feeling began in the pit of his stomach. This wasn't good, he chanted inwardly.

"Get out, Doc," Joker said, looking seriously at him.

Definitely not good. Crane nonchalantly did as he was asked. To his slight relief, only Joker followed suit. He stood patiently, trying not to look around and notice the utter lack of other people.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we're here."

"Yes."

"Well, I won't waste your time." Joker led the way to the edge of the bridge, then peered down. Crane followed, but stood slightly at a distance. "I have some questions for you. And I want to make sure you'll tell me all you know."

"Of course."

Joker smiled. "Come closer." Crane tentatively took a few steps forward. "I don't bite. Usually," he added, laughing. Crane said nothing. "I won't push you in unless you refuse to answer me."

"And what will you ask?" Crane replied, eyeing the water far below.

"Do you think I can defeat him?"

"Batman? Yes, I think that, if anyone could, it would be you," Crane said sincerely. He looked at Joker carefully, wondering if the madman could possibly be having doubts.

"Oh, good. I'm going to try soon. Good to have overconfidence," he said cheerfully.

"I'm sure," Crane replied slowly.

"I thought you might be less sycophantic than any of the others," Joker explained, motioning toward the men in the van. Crane wondered why they were there. To make him come? There was hardly need for that. His nervousness increased.

"Happy to help," he said slowly.

"I'm sure. Now, do you think you could help me a little more?"

"Perhaps."

Joker looked around secretively. "Do you know who Batman is?"

Crane weighed his options quickly. Should he tell him? Probably not. If he could figure it out, that was one thing. But who knew what might happen? Crane found himself wishing fervently that there would at least be one worthy foe for this psychopath. "I'm afraid I don't."

"Any theories?" Joker asked, regarding him carefully. Perhaps he'd paused too long.

"Well, he probably suffered from a trauma in early childhood involving bats. He has been instilled with a strong sense of justice, possibly due to some perceived crime that went unpunished," he said calmly.

Joker laughed happily. "I figured a shrink would know something," he said, sounding almost proud. "Well, that's all for now. We have work to do," he added, sweeping around. Crane followed him to the car, and they set off. They dropped off the men at various places before returning to the docks, to one of the warehouses in which they had frequently met. "I'm disappointed to have to tell you this, Doc, but I don't have any patients for you tonight." Crane wondered why he had been taken all this way, then. "But I'm sure I'll have plenty coming in pretty soon! Ha ha ha!"

"I'm sure you will," he replied quietly.

"Well, off you go. I'm sure you know how to get home from here." Joker looked at him expectantly.

"I do."

"Splendid. We'll see you tomorrow night, then," he said, leaping out of the van.

Crane followed more slowly. "I suppose you will." He turned away to go home, then paused. "Will Zsasz come get me, or will you get me yourself?" he asked.

Joker laughed. "Zsasz was busy this evening. Would you rather see him?"

Smiling coolly, he replied, "What ever is more convenient."

"Ha ha ha! Maybe you are just another sycophant after all." The statement seemed to portend something sinister. He turned away, the tails of his purple suit coat swirling around. "Take care of that little woman for me. Don't want her to be spoiled," he said, laughing.

Crane froze, wondering at the odd sensation of the very air seeming solid and shattering before him.


	11. It's Not Too Late

It's Not Too Late

_But you can't, you can't_

_You can't stop a bullet_

_I'm giving you my trigger_

_But you better never pull it_

_-Black Light Burns, Stop a Bullet_

Crane hurried home. He hadn't felt so consumed by fear in a long time. Scarecrow was momentarily gone, overwhelmed by the intense feelings swirling through Jonathan. He'd never been a passionate person, so it had been easy to for the other half to overpower him with its needs. But now his desire to find Jenny safe at home was stronger than anything Scarecrow could want. He would have run, but he didn't want to attract attention. He didn't know if he were being followed, in which case word would get to Joker about how worried he was. He couldn't reveal how bothered he was, couldn't show that Joker had hit home, as it were. So, he hurried as discreetly as possible.

Doubt assailed his mind. What if she wasn't there? What if she was, and they'd done something to her? He didn't think he could handle that. She hadn't been there all evening. Had they already gotten her? Was he just taken away so Joker could tease him further? The man was cruel in a much higher degree than even Scarecrow could boast to. He was an illusion: he made horrific things appear to his victims. Joker made them a reality. Was Joker jealous of even the illusion of a rival? Crane hoped fervently that this was not the case.

Jenny sat on her bed, staring at an empty suitcase. She wanted to leave. She wanted desperately to run and never look back. But she couldn't. Where could she go? Nowhere. This was her home. She supposed she could hide out with Lisa. Eddie would certainly have had her, but it was too close to home. Lisa at least lived farther away. And Jonathan didn't know where that was.

Jonathan. Maybe she should wait. Wait and at least see if he would leave off working for her. But then what? Lisa wouldn't let them both live there. Maybe they could go somewhere else. Somewhere cheaper, so they wouldn't be desperate for money. But what good was this train of thought, she thought bitterly. Scarecrow needed to be fed. Where could they go for that? In the city, it was easy to be anonymous. Elsewhere, it would be harder for a few attacks to escape notice. Surely it was easier to hide out in this warren-like city.

But maybe there was some option, she thought. Maybe. Of course! She got up and quickly wrote a letter, forcing herself to slow down so it might be legible. Then, she put on her coat and went out to post it.

Jonathan hurried up the stairs. The lights were on. That was a good sign, he thought. He reached the landing and opened the door. "Jenny?" he called, looking around anxiously. She wasn't there. "It's okay," he ordered himself. "She was here since you last were. Unless we left the light on," he muttered. He walked around, searching for some sort of clue as to her wellbeing.

He walked in the bedroom and stopped. There was suitcase on the bed. Already some of her clothes had been taken from the closet and placed near it. Was she leaving? Where would she go? She certainly didn't expect him to be home for some time. Perhaps she was running away. He found himself feeling slightly relieved. Extremely relieved on her behalf, but what was left for him if she left?

What he'd had before, he supposed. Which is to say, Scarecrow. He didn't want to be left alone with that monster. Especially if he worked for Joker. Then he'd be surrounded by raving psychotics, he thought bitterly. Not for the first time.

Would he continue working for Joker? He hadn't thought about it. Why not, though? There was nothing else for him. And, so what if Joker killed him one day? It would hardly be unexpected. And a little welcome at this point. He paused at that thought. So, he was suicidal now? No. He'd always looked down on those who gave up. He wouldn't give up. Things could always get worse, he'd always told himself. How that could be, he didn't know. But he would keep trying.

Crane sat down on the couch to wait. He considered watching television, but he knew he wouldn't be able to think about it at all. What the point of disrupting his thoughts with useless noise? But he was tired of waiting. He stood up again, to pace. His head cleared when he paced.

So, let's assume Jenny's fine and is coming back soon, he thought. Then what? Would he still work for Joker? If she'd left and it wasn't Joker's fault, he would continue working. If he'd done something to her, Crane would, of course, have to get his revenge. How he would do that, he wasn't sure. And if Jenny was alright? He forced himself to dwell on that.

Chances were good that she would not be safe for long. Joker was mad. He'd use what he could against a person, if for no other reason than it amused him. He wouldn't be like Batman, who let them go. Crane wondered why that was. Surely he was not particularly endowed with compassion, especially for a criminal? But perhaps it was that the situation reflected something he wished for. Wayne was rich, but had to maintain his secret identity. Was there someone he wanted to know of it? Perhaps. Perhaps that was why he allowed it.

Stop going on tangents, Crane thought. Focus. If Jenny was fine, they should run. Get out of Gotham and away from the Joker forever. He wouldn't let them go easily, he assumed. And staying here was what Scarecrow wanted. There were millions of people to play with, many of whom wouldn't be missed. Jonathan knew he'd never be rid of Scarecrow. But he could make him more obedient, at least for a while. Who knew? Maybe with Jenny's help, he could be rid of him completely. Unlikely. He was too far gone for that, he thought bitterly.

Feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time, Jenny left the post office and walked home. She wasn't even particularly suspicious of the other people on the street. She was in far too good a mood to care. Fortunately, she reached her building without incident. She frowned slightly. Had she left the lights on? Probably. That was silly of her. She walked up the stairs and opened the door. And was taken quite by surprise when Jonathan grabbed her and hugged her.

"Um, hi," she said, giggling despite herself.

He held her at arms length. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, good. I was so worried," he said fervently.

"Why?"

"Joker. He knows about you. I don't know how," he said, releasing her to pace.

"What do you think he'll do with that information?" she asked, her good mood fading.

"I don't want to know," he replied, pausing to stare at her intensely.

"Well, how do you know he knows?"

"He himself came by early this evening. I was still asleep. Then, we went to this bridge and he questioned me about Batman. I told him I didn't know anything," he said, frowning slightly.

"Why?"

"You wanted me to tell him?" Crane asked, surprised.

"No, of course not. I just wanted to know why you decided that. He is your boss. Don't you want him to win?"

Crane considered. "If anyone could, I think he's capable of bringing Batman down. I'm not going to tip the odds any more in his favor," he explained.

"That's good. Then what happened?"

"Then we went back to the warehouse in which I usually see him. One of them, anyway. And he let me go, saying to take care of you. He didn't want you to be spoiled."

Jenny paled. "That's pretty clear, then."

"Yes."

"What should we do?" she asked nervously.

"I don't know," he said slowly.

"We have to do something soon," she told him.

"I know. I was thinking that, maybe, we should leave."

"Leave and go where?"

"I don't know. Somewhere far away."

"Run away?"

"Yes."

She was silent. Then, "If you want to stay, I can leave," she said slowly.

He stopped pacing and regarded her. "Do you want to?"

She shrugged, looking away. "I don't know. Sometimes."

"I saw your suitcase," he said abruptly.

She smiled grimly. "I was thinking it was the easiest solution. But I couldn't follow through with it."

"I'm glad," he replied. "I don't want to lose you. Unless I have to."

"Why would you have to?" she asked.

"I might have to give you up," he murmured. "If I can't control him anymore."

"Do you think that will be a problem if we go somewhere else? Where you can't feed him all the time?"

"I don't know. I was so worried today, that I might have lost you, I think I overcame him. For a while, at least. Maybe I can keep him under control if it's you," he said slowly.

She took his hand. "I hope so."

"Me too," he said, almost shyly.

"Well, then, we'll run and hope you can handle him. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

He shook his head slowly, his eyes locked on hers. They seemed less disturbing now than they had been.

"I wrote to Renee."

"Why?" he asked, at a loss.

"To see if we could hide out wherever they are. It would be safe and unknown. Batman is too busy here to look for anyone who's run away." She paused. "He came to see me today."

"Wanted to know what I was doing?"

"Yes."

"What did you tell him?"

She sighed. "I would try harder to keep you under control. But I told him that, when he takes Joker down, if you're there, he can take you as well."

"Why?"

She looked distressed. "I thought I was losing you. I figured if Scarecrow was taking over, I'm better off without you."

"You might be anyway," he said softly.

She shrugged. "Maybe. But I don't care. It's worth it."

He held her close. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He rose abruptly and walked to the kitchen, where his briefcase lay on the table. Jenny followed him. "Take care of this for me, won't you?"

"Get rid of?" she asked.

"No. We might need it eventually. But I want you to keep it away from me, if you can."

"I'll try."

He smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You're going to have to go talk to Joker, you know. Give him two week's notice or whatever," she said tentatively.

"I know."


	12. It's Never Too Late

_A/N Well, here's the last chapter. I'm so glad you all enjoyed it!! Thanks so much to Or1g1nal1nSaNiTy, highlandgirl1592 and especially BlackHeartofDarkness for all their wonderful reviews! I hope you all like the end. _

It's Never Too Late

_Sometimes you have to get lost_

_If you're ever going to find your way_

_Back to where you came from_

_-Black Light Burns, the Mark_

Crane waited two weeks before he did anything. He went to the jobs he was sent to, but sent Jenny to live with Lisa until they left. His evenings were lonely, since he wouldn't allow her to come to him and he wouldn't go to her. He didn't know where Lisa lived. He didn't want to know. Jenny was safer if no one, including himself, knew where she had gone. But it was only a matter of time before the stroke fell on the city. Then it wouldn't be safe for anyone. Crane wanted to be gone by then.

Jenny had assured him that, in two weeks, they would have an answer from her sister, if one were forthcoming. If not, then they would just leave and hope to make it on their own. It would be hard, but it was better than staying. Anything was better than that. But, hopefully, Ra's was incapacitated enough to allow guests while he nursed his wounds. Especially if those guests included his former employee and sister-in-law. That ought to mean something, anyway. Well, one can only hope, Jonathan thought.

On the evening after he'd received the long-awaited letter, he left the apartment calmly, despite the knowledge of what he was going to do. Zsasz had come to get him early. He wouldn't have to see the thug ever again. The thought was heartening. Regardless of how the evening turned out, that was surely the case.

He entered the warehouse. It was the one in which he had first met the Joker. Hopefully, he wouldn't be seeing him after this, either. An even better thought. As usual, Joker paced around the warehouse, nearly prancing in his purple suit. He was becoming nearly giddy as the day approached when he would show his hand. Unlike usual, however, Joker had previous company. A man was bound and sitting in the center of the room. Crane didn't recognize him. He remained in the shadows, not wanted to distract Joker from whatever he was doing.

"Why won't you tell me?" Joker was asking playfully.

"Um, sir, um, I've told you everything I, um, know!" he stammered.

"Are you sure?"

"Um, yes," he replied, looking terrified.

Joker pulled out a pistol. "If you say um again, I'll have to kill you," he said sadly. "And then play time will be over."

"Um, no, don't!" he said.

Joker walked over and pointed the gun at the man's forehead, only half a foot away. He pulled the trigger. A sign popped out, saying, "Bang!" Joker laughed hysterically. The man fainted. Joker pulled the trigger again. Crane winced as a gunshot rang out, followed by Joker's maniacal laughter.

"Well, that's that, then," he said when he stopped laughing. "Someone clean this up," he said, waving dismissively. He caught site of Crane. "What's up, Doc? Ha ha ha!" he said.

"I have an important matter to discuss," Crane said gravely.

Joker looked around, then walked up to Crane. "Something you'd rather not shout across the room, then?" he asked conspiratorially.

"Perhaps."

"Well, shoot," Joker replied. He laughed at the pun, putting the pistol into his coat pocket.

Crane took a deep breath. "I'd like to tender my resignation."

"Don't be so serious, Doc. What are you leaving for? Got cold feet? A conscience," he practically spit the word.

Something like that, Crane thought. "No, sir. I don't think you have any real use for me and I don't want to impose on your charity," he said thoughtfully.

"It's not charity. It's an investment. Don't want you siding with anyone else. Ha ha ha!"

"I'm sure no one could present a problem to you."

"Well, there's that," Joker replied happily. "But it could be a dreadful inconvenience. But if you'd really like to go?" Crane nodded gravely. "I suppose I could handle having the cards reshuffled. But don't think you can side with the Batman and take me down," he warned, "if it's a conscience that's troubling you. I'll have to take it out on your lady friend, and that would be a pity," he leered.

"Quite a pity. I would never dream of it," Crane replied emphatically. He wondered how easily he was being let go. And how concerned he should be about it.

"Well, then, off you go. But don't come back, Crow. I don't give second chances, you know," Joked said, smiling broadly.

"Thank you, sir."

"Run along," he said, waving his hands in a shooing motion. "I have bigger bats to catch. Ha ha ha!"

Crane turned rapidly and strode out of the warehouse. He did not let his guard down. Surely there would be some more test of some sort. Or perhaps he'd just kill him. But Joker was pretty busy with his plans, apparently, so perhaps Crane had picked a good time to flee. Perhaps Joker wouldn't think about him for some time. That would be helpful. But he was nearly out of sight. Maybe he would escape with his life after all.

Jonathan hailed a taxi, and rode to the apartment. For the last time, he reflected. He'd wondered if it would have been better to just flee, without saying he was going. But he had thought that Joker would probably hold a grudge if he just vanished. They didn't intend to come back to Gotham, but who knew what the future would bring? Ra's al Ghul would certainly return to finish the job. It was unlikely his protection would continue once he'd regained his former strength.

He hurried up the stairs. It would be quick work to pack, so he decided to call Jenny right away. She was supposed to go to the airport for their flight whether he called or not, and he didn't know how long she would wait. He dialed, and waited impatiently for someone to answer.

"Hello?"

"Lisa. Is Jenny there?" he asked.

"Yes. She was just about to leave, good thing you caught her," Lisa said.

"I was not," Jenny told him when she picked up the phone. "I was going to wait at least half an hour."

"Well, it's not necessary. Did you have anything you wanted to pick up here?"

"I take it everything went okay?"

Jonathan shrugged. "I don't know. He let me go. I think he's preoccupied with taking Batman down. We'd better get out of here before he remembers anything else," he warned.

"Fine. I'll be right over."

She was true to her word, arriving in only about five minutes. They packed hastily, leaving a great deal for Eddie to keep safe, against their return. Jenny's return, anyway. Jonathan didn't plan on coming back. He had nothing to come back to, for one. And he had no great memories from this place. He would be glad to finally leave. The departure saddened Jenny. She would miss her friends. He wondered again at the fact that she was willing to do this for him.

They finished packing, carrying only two suitcases. The rest was in boxes, which they carried down to Eddie's apartment. Janet, his wife, was crying. She helped them place the boxes. "Can you kids wait a little bit? My Eddie should be home any minute," Janet pleaded.

"We can wait for about ten minutes," Jenny said. "But then we really must go."

"You kids. Always getting yourself in trouble. You should just live a simple life, like Eddie and me. We don't have people chasing us. But I guess it runs in your family," she said, patting Jenny's arm.

"I guess it does," she replied.

Janet turned to Jonathan. "You take good care of her, you hear me? She's done a lot for you, you know."

"I know," he said, gravely, taking Jenny's hand. She smiled.

Eddie came home shortly thereafter. "Leaving already?" he asked.

"Yes," Jenny replied.

He hugged her. "I'll be missing a good worker and a good friend."

"Don't forget neighbor," his wife said.

He laughed. "I'll take care of Lisa for you, make sure she doesn't get in too deep."

"Thanks, Eddie. For everything," Jenny said. She hugged both of them goodbye. Both told Jonathan repeatedly to take care of her.

Finally, the goodbyes were over. Jonathan hailed a cab. Jenny was crying quietly. "It'll be alright," he told her gently.

"I know."

The ride to the airport passed in silence. Until they reached it.

"Well, here you are, Doc," a familiar voice said.

Crane froze. "Joker," he said.

Jenny looked at him in shock.

"Oh, don't fret. Can't I say goodbye to an old employee fleeing town?" Joker asked, laughing.

"I suppose."

"She had her tearful goodbyes. Don't you envy them?" Crane raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'd expect a Crow to cry," Joker added, grinning.

"Of course."

"Well, off you go, then. Don't come back. I won't be so happy the next time I see you, I'm sure," Joker said.

Crane got out of the taxi, pulling Jenny after him. Joker sped away, laughing hysterically. He watched him go. "Well, that was close," he said.

Jenny nodded emphatically. "Let's get out of here."

"Certainly," Jonathan replied, putting his arm around her and leading her away.

_I have to try to break free from the thoughts in my mind_

_Use the time that I have, I can't say goodbye_

_Have to make it right_

_Have to fight because I know in the end it's worthwhile_

_That the pain that I feel slowly fades away_

_It will be all right_

_Within Temptation, Pale_


End file.
